Welcome Home
by JediMaster-Jen
Summary: Years ago, Alexis lost the love of her life and father of her two children. They eventually moved on and Alexis rebuilt their lives. Now, eleven years later, Alexis has remarried, had another child and is a successful attorney. What happens when the boy she loved and lost returns? (Julexis; some Rexis)
1. Prologue

**Title:** Welcome Home

**Summary:** Years ago, Alexis lost the love of her life and father of her two children. They eventually moved on and Alexis rebuilt their lives. Now, eleven years later, Alexis has remarried, had another child and is a successful attorney. What happens when the boy she loved and lost returns?

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own GH or its characters.

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**Author Note:** Forget everything you think you know about GH and its characters.

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**Prologue**

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**Mount Sinai Hospital**

**Manhattan, New York City, New York**

**May 11, 1980**

/

Alexis had never seen anything so beautiful in all her sixteen years. She was exhausted from nineteen hours of labor and she hadn't slept peacefully in weeks. But as she sat there with her father on her right, her mother on her left and her boyfriend sitting on the bed with her, she was as happy as she'd ever remembered being. No other moment in her life had been as profoundly life-changing as having given birth.

Sleeping soundly in her arms was her newborn daughter, Samantha Monique Jerome. Little Sam had a smattering of dark hair on her tiny head and Alexis had glimpsed dark eyes. She was light as a feather at just over five pounds and so tiny at only eighteen inches long.

"She's so beautiful," Alexis murmured.

"Like her mother," eighteen-year-old Julian Jerome said just as quietly so as not to awaken the newborn boy in his arms.

Alexis looked to her son, cradled so gently in his father's strong arms. Alexander William Jerome was slightly heavier and a bit longer than his sister at five pounds, three ounces and twenty-one inches long. His wisps of hair were just as dark as Sam's, but no one had seen his eye color as of yet.

"He's handsome just like his daddy," she told Julian, who leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Mikkos and Kristin looked on. Neither had been happy to learn that their sixteen-year-old daughter was pregnant. They were even less pleased to learn that the father was then seventeen-year-old Julian Jerome, son of notorious mob boss Victor Jerome. At first, Mikkos had forbidden Alexis from seeing Julian and had demanded that his daughter give her children up the moment they were born. His mind had been changed on a cold and snowy December night in 1979 when a soaking wet, beaten and bloody Julian showed up on his doorstep. The boy had been shaking from head to toe and could barely stand on his own two feet.

/

_Alexis had chosen that moment to come down the stairs and she screamed when she saw Julian standing in the foyer. She ran to him and reached out to him, brushing her fingers lightly over his right cheek; the only part of his face not bruised. _

"_What happened?" she asked softly. _

"_My fa-father," he stuttered out. _

_Mikkos' eyes burned with fury._ How dare a man raise his hand to a child, _he thought to himself. _

_Kristin entered the room with a warm washcloth and a first aid kit. She ushered Julian into the downstairs bathroom and set about cleaning and bandaging his wounds. _

"_Do you hurt anywhere, Julian?" she asked softly, trying not to further scare the already afraid young man. _

_He nodded. "My ribs. He…he ki-kicked me. Hurts to…to breathe."_

_Kristin nodded as she finished up on his face and his hands. "Certainly looks as if you landed a few punches yourself."_

_Julian smiled as best he could with a split lip. "A few."_

_Mikkos came to stand in the doorway. "Are you all right, Son?"_

_Julian had always been a little afraid of Mikkos Cassadine. The man was tall, powerfully built and carried himself in a manner that suggested trifling with him was out of the question. _

_Julian bravely met his gaze. "I think...my ribs mi-might be br-broken, Sir."_

_Kristin exchanged a glance with her husband. "Mikkos, we need to take him to the emergency room. His breathing is bad. His broken rib or ribs might possibly have nicked his lung. He must be checked over."_

/

Turned out that Julian had indeed fractured four ribs and one had nicked his lung, accounting for his breathing difficulties.

From that night on, Mikkos had not allowed Julian to return home. He's placed a call to Monique Jerome, letting her know what her husband had done to their son and that he was not allowing Julian to return to such a hostile environment.

Monique had agreed it was in Julian's best interest to stay away. She had insisted that she be allowed to see her son. Mikkos had granted her access to his home whenever she wished to see Julian. Within weeks, Monique and Julian were both residents of Cassadine Manor; occupying the very large guest house.

Now, five months had gone by and Mikkos' little princess was a mother.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" she asked her father.

Abandoning his earlier thoughts, he smiled at her. "Yes, little one, I am fine. I was just remembering the day you were born. You were as tiny as little Samantha."

Julian chuckled. "I bet she was lot louder, though."

Alexis playfully slapped his hand. "I was not. I was a perfect baby."

"Of course you were, dear," Kristin said. "Mikkos, we must take our leave and let this new family get to know each other."

Kristin kissed her daughter, her new grandchildren and squeezed Julian's shoulder affectionately. Mikkos followed suit, shaking Julian's hand.

As soon as they walked out, Julian stood and placed Alexander into the crib and then came back for Samantha. Once she was nestled against her brother, Julian climbed into bed with Alexis and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her temple softly.

"I love you," he whispered. "So much. Thank you for making me a daddy."

Alexis snuggled tightly against him. "I love you, too. How are we going to manage this?"

Julian shook his head. "I don't know, but…with your parents and my mom helping us, I think we'll be okay. We're gonna be okay, baby, I promise."

Both teens closed their eyes and drifted off peacefully with their newborn twins safely asleep across the room.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

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**Four Years Later**

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**New Haven, Connecticut**

**Jerome Residence**

**June 21, 1984**

/

Alexis awoke from a sound sleep, her heart pounding against her chest. She looked at the clock and was startled to find it just past midnight. She'd only been sleeping for a little over an hour. She quickly stood and grabbed her robe and went in search for what might have awakened her so suddenly.

First, she peeked into Zander's room. The little boy was sound asleep in his race car bed. He'd kicked the covers off sometime during the night. Alexis went and gently covered her son. She brushed his hair back off his forehead and kissed him, whispering her love to him.

Next she checked on Sam. Her little girl was restless in her pink princess bed. She too had kicked the covers off and she seemed to be in the throes of a nightmare. Alexis sat down on the bed next to her daughter and ran her hand softly through her hair.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay," she whispered.

Suddenly Sam sprang up in her bed, eyes wide with terror. "Daddy!"

Alexis pulled the crying, panting child into her arms and wrapped her in a tight hug. Sam struggled to get free at first, but Alexis held tight.

"Sam, what's wrong, baby girl?" she asked as tenderly as possible.

Tears coursed down Sam's tiny cheeks and her sobs broke Alexis' heart. She had no idea what was wrong with her daughter and no idea how to make it better.

Before Alexis could speak again, there was a knock on the front door.

"Come on, angel baby, let's go see who is knocking on the door at such an ungodly hour of the night," Alexis said to her daughter.

She stood and Sam immediately wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and her legs around her waist; her tears and sobs still digging into Alexis' very soul.

Alexis had assumed it was Sam's nightmare and crying which had awakened her. As soon as she opened the door and saw her parents and her brother-in-law, she knew she'd been wrong.

Her heart sank and she felt like sobbing right along with her little girl.

/

_I'm Johnna Palmer, Channel 5 WNYW News,"_ the newscaster began. _"We come to you live at just after midnight, Eastern Standard Time here in New York. Some thirty-five minutes ago we received word in our newsroom that a Cassadine Industries aircraft is reported to have crashed en route from Athens International Airport in Athens, Greece to its mid-point destination of Lisbon Airport in Lisbon, Portugal. Early reports indicate that the plane crashed just one hour into the flight, somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea."_

Alexis had handed Sam off to her grandmother. Kristin took the girl up to her room and attempted to calm her.

Mikkos and Evan sat one on either side of Alexis as they watched the news.

"_Reports coming out of Athens International indicate that eldest Cassadine son, Stavros Cassadine, his brother-in-law Julian Jerome and a cousin, Valentin Cassadine were all aboard the jet._

"Oh, God," Alexis sobbed, her heart aching for her husband, her brother and her cousin.

"_Stavros Cassadine has in recent years been taking on a more active role with Cassadine Industries, the company founded and built from the ground up by his great-grandfather, Khristos Cassadine. Stavros Cassadine is married to French model and actress Genevieve Marceau, with whom he has three children; daughter Sophie and sons Marc and Kristopher. Mr. Cassadine is just twenty-six years old."_

Mikkos didn't know what to do to comfort his daughter. His own grief at the loss of his son, nephew and son-in-law were nearly paralyzing. Evan had his arm wrapped around Alexis' shoulders, holding her tightly against him. Tears clouded his vision as he thought of his baby brother.

"_Cassadine son-in-law Julian Jerome has been married for the past two years to the third child and eldest Cassadine daughter, Alexis. The pair met and became parents as teenagers to twins; daughter Samantha and son Alexander. Jerome has worked for Cassadine Industries for most of the last few years. He is the youngest son of notorious New York crime figure, Victor Jerome and his late wife, Monique Rosette. Mr. Jerome is just twenty-two years old."_

Alexis began to son as the television began showing photographs of Julian. Some were of him by himself; others the two of the together and with their children.

She suddenly fell to her knees in front of the television. "Julian!"

"_Last, but certainly not least, Valentin Cassadine is also believed to have been aboard the Cassadine jet. Valentin Cassadine is the current CFO of Cassadine Industries. He is the only son of the late Victor Cassadine, who incidentally in a tragic twist of fate, perished some fifteen years ago in a plane crash at sea. Valentin is twenty-seven years old and married to American socialite Phoebe Westcott, with whom he has one son, Alistair."_

Evan slid to the floor with Alexis and had wrapped her in his embrace.

"How do I…t-tell my b-babies that…?"

Evan closed his eyes against the pain in his chest. His baby brother was gone and his niece and nephew would grow up without a father. He let his tears cascade down his cheeks.

"I don't know, Lexie," he whispered. "We'll all…we'll tell them together."

"_We're going to go live now to international news source CNN who we are told have an aerial view of the wreckage of the crash of the Cassadine Industries jet."_

Alexis looked up and forced herself to stare at the pictures of the downed plane. All that could be seen were one large oil slick and the hundreds of thousands of pieces of what used to be a Cassadine plane.

"Mama?" came a small voice from the top of the staircase.

Alexis quickly wiped her eyes and gathered herself as quickly as possible. She stood up and tried to smile at her little boy. _He looks so much like Julian,_ she thought.

"What's wrong, baby?" she asked as she reached her son and scooped him into her arms.

He rested his head against her shoulder and put his hand on his little chest. "I huwt he'e, Mama."

A sob caught in her throat. She understood now. Zander was physically feeling the absence of his father. Sam's nightmare and hysterical crying were the same thing; she felt her father leave her. The same for her; she felt Julian leave her, leave them.

She rubbed his back gently and walked to his room and settled him back in his bed. She rubbed slow circles on his tummy, just as Julian used to when he had trouble going back to sleep after a nightmare.

"Close your eyes, Zander," she said softly. "Sleep, little man. It'll be all better in the morning."

Slowly the little boy drifted back to sleep and Alexis left his room and went to check in on her daughter.

/

Kristin was singing softly to Sam when Alexis entered the room. Her eyes watered at the sight of her small daughter curled around the stuffed teddy bear Julian had given her for her fourth birthday just one short month before.

"She's finally gone back to sleep," Kristin informed her daughter.

Alexis sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. "How do I do this, Mama? How do I…he's my whole life; him and these two precious babies. How do I go on w-without him?"

Kristin walked over to her daughter and took her hand. "You just do. This family lost a lot tonight, but we still have each other. These two precious babies will have all the love they can stand and we'll tell them all about their father and how much he loved them and their mama. We'll tell Sophie, Marc, Kristopher and Alistair the same about their fathers."

Alexis realized then that she hadn't spared but one thought for her half-brother. Stavros and she had never been as close as she and Stefan, but she did love her brother and she would certainly miss him.

"Is someone with Phoebe and Genny?" Alexis asked softly, thinking of the shared pain her sister-in-law and cousin-in-law must be feeling.

"Yes," Kristin answered. "Your Uncle Tony went to tell Genny the news and Stefan is with Phoebe."

Silence fell over both women then; Alexis sitting and Kristin standing, hands joined.

/

Mikkos and Evan had moved into the kitchen and both now had steaming cups of coffee in front of them.

"You got here fast," Evan commented.

"We were informed by some associates just minutes after the air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane," Mikkos told him. "Kristin and I left right away, hoping to beat the news reports. I was very afraid Alexis would still have been awake and watching the news. It was bad enough with us here, but had she been alone, I shudder to…"

Evan sipped his coffee. "I'm glad my mom isn't here for this. It would…losing Julian would have killed her before the cancer could."

Mikkos remembered fondly Monique Rosette-Jerome. Very shortly after Samantha and Alexander had been born, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. It was an aggressive form of cancer which spread fast and within a year, she'd passed away. He remembered how inconsolable Julian, and Evan, both were at the loss of their mother.

/

The long night hours dragged on until the sun began to rise on a new day. The birds chirped. The sounds of children playing in the tree-lined streets carried with the mild breeze of early summer. Cars rambled down the street as people went to work.

Yet in one home in New Haven, there was silence; loud, deafening silence. No words could change the last seven hours. No words could bring back three bright, promising young men. No words could give comfort to three newly-made widows. No words could soothe six young children. No words could explain such a terrible tragedy.

So there was silence.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

/

**Two Months Later**

**August 23, 1984**

/

Alexis stood with a cup of coffee in her hands as she watched her children run and play in the sprinklers. They were her only joy in life. With Julian gone, they were her only reason for living. They breathed _life_ into her.

"Aun' Kwissy!" Zander yelled when he caught sight of his aunt, eighteen-year-old Kristina.

"Hi, kiddo," she said as she hugged the dripping-wet boy.

"Hey, you," Kristina said to her sister as she came up to her. "How ya doing?"

Alexis shrugged. "Right now, this very minute, I'm…okay. Having the children around helps. I don't know what I'm going to do when I go back to school on Monday."

Kristina's eyes widened. "You're going back?"

Alexis nodded. "I'm twenty years old, Kris. I have two toddlers and my husband is…I have to go back. I have to provide for them."

"I just thought you might take some more time," she offered. "It's only been…"

"Two months!" Alexis snapped. "It's been two months since my husband _died_. I miss him with every breath I take. My heart, my mind, my body; I ache for him, Krissy. I miss Stavros and Val, but Julian…I'll hear a noise at night and I think it's him. If I look around a corner fast enough, I swear I see him. I know _exactly_ how long it's been. I _need_ to do something and going back to school seems like the thing to do."

"I'm sorry," Kristina whispered as she hugged her sister, both women with tears in their eyes.

Alexis sniffled a bit. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't…I didn't mean to lash out at you. I'm not the only person hurting, I know that. I know how much you miss Stavros. You were always his favorite."

Kristina smiled sadly as she wiped her eyes. "It's not the same, Lexie, and I know that. He was our brother. Julian was your husband. It's…different."

"Have you seen Phoebe or Genny?" Alexis asked then.

Kristina nodded. "Phoebe and I went shopping yesterday. I think we went into every store on Fifth Avenue. She said Alistair needed new clothes, but…"

Alexis hadn't seen her sister-in-law or her cousin-in-law since the memorial service had been held in New York six days after the crash. The family had been told that with the severity of the impact and the ocean environment there would be no remains to bury. So, a memorial service had been held at St. Patrick's Cathedral and each woman had gone their own way.

"Genny called me," Kristina then said. "She asked about you, how you're doing."

Alexis scoffed. "How am I doing? She knows perfectly well. She's doing the same."

Kristina understood what was happening. There was five universally accepted stages to the grieving process. Alexis had already, in the past two months, experienced the first stage; denial and isolation. She'd hidden away with the children and refused to acknowledge that Julian was gone.

Now, she was moving on to the second stage; anger.

"Look, I'm gonna head back home," Kristina said softly.

Alexis sighed. "No. Don't run off, I'm just…"

"Angry?" her sister asked.

Alexis nodded sharply. "Yes. Yes, I'm angry."

"Who are you angry with?" she questioned, wanting to get her sister talking.

"Everyone!" Alexis responded harshly. "I'm angry at you and our parents for hovering when all I want you to do is leave me alone. I'm angry at Evan for thinking he can take his brother's place. I'm angry at Sam and Zander for…for _looking_ so much like their father that I am reminded every day that Julian is gone. I'm angry at _myself_ for being angry all the time."

"Are you angry at Julian?" was the next question.

Alexis met her stare, shock evident on her face. "What? No! Of course not. Kris, none of this was…"

Kristina waited to see what would happen as her sister realized that she was indeed angry, furious even at Julian. She watched every emotion cross Alexis' face; despair, anger, hate, love, concern and so many others.

"Oh, my God," Alexis whispered. "Oh, God, I…I am. I'm so…"

She turned and went into the house, not even remembering that Sam and Zander were still playing in the sprinklers.

Kristina sat down on the porch and watched the kids play. Her heart hurt for her sister and all the pain she was experiencing. She wished with all she was that she could take that pain away.

/

Alexis sat on her bed and stared at the wedding photo of her and Julian. So handsome he had been in his tuxedo. She ran her fingers over his face and picked up the frame. She stared at his face for so long before she heaved it across the room. The shattering of the glass brought forth her tears; tears of rage and sorrow.

"You bastard!" she screamed as she collapsed to the carpeted floor. "You promised me!"

Deep, gut-wrenching sobs were torn from her chest; the likes of which she hadn't let loose since the night two months prior when her world had shattered into a million pieces.

/

"Where Mommy at?" Sam asked in her tiny voice as she sat with her brother and Kristina for dinner.

"Mommy's not feeling well right now, sweet pea," Kristina told her niece. "She'll be feeling better tonight in time to tuck you into bed."

"She miss Daddy," Zander chimed in around a mouth full of macaroni and cheese.

Kristina ran her hand through his soft, dark hair and smiled. "Yes, she does. She misses your daddy a lot."

"Unca Stav, too," Sam replied.

"Yes, she misses them both a whole lot," Kristina said to them. "But, you know what? Having the two of you here makes her feel lots better."

Sam and Zander both smiled. They were sensitive children and Kristina knew they could sense their mother's moods. Perhaps Alexis was right and going back to school would be a good thing for her.

"Come on, munchkins, finish up," Kristina said. "Almost time for baths and bedtime stories."

Both children loved the water so bath time was easily their favorite nighttime ritual.

/

Alexis came out of her bedroom just in time to tuck both of her children into bed.

"I love you, angel baby," she told Sam as she kissed her daughter's forehead. "Go to sleep."

"Wuv you, Mommy," the sleepy girl answered.

Alexis made her way to Zander's room and found the boy sitting up in his bed clutching a baseball that Julian had given him for his fourth birthday.

"Watcha got there, little man?" she asked as she sat down next to her son.

"Baw," he answered softly. "Daddy gived it ta me."

Tears stung her eyes but she didn't let them fall. "I know he did, baby. You and Daddy and your Yankees."

Zander smiled a little. "Wub da Yankees."

Alexis chuckled. Zander was a huge New York Yankees fan because Julian had been a Yankees fan. Like father, like son.

She took the ball from him and put it under his pillow. "There."

Zander grinned; so reminiscent of Julian. "Daddy wif me now."

She brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes. "Daddy will always be with us, baby. Remember, he's in heaven and he's watching over us; you, me, Sammy."

Zander nodded. "Gwammy and Gwamps, too."

Alexis cleared her throat. "Yep, Grammy and Gramps, too. Now, lay down. It's time to go to the land of dreams."

The little boy laid down and smiled up at his mother. "Wub you, Mama."

She kissed both his cheeks. "I love you, too, little man. Sleep tight."

Alexis walked downstairs and saw Kristina had made herself a cup of coffee and was sitting at the island in the kitchen.

"When did you get so smart?" she asked her little sister.

Kristina shrugged.

Alexis sat across from her sister and smiled. "Well, you were right on target. I _am_ angry with Julian. I'm furious with him for leaving me, and for leaving me with two small kids. He promised me he'd always be here and he's not. I know in my heart that it isn't his fault. He didn't leave on purpose and he'd be here if he could, but…that doesn't change how I feel."

"I don't think it's supposed to change how you feel," Kristina pointed out. "That's the beauty of it, Lex. There is no right or wrong way to feel, you just…_feel_."

Alexis smirked. "See, there you go again, being smart."

"I really should be going," Kristina said as she downed the last of her coffee. "If you need me to watch Sam and Zander, I can. Just let me know."

Alexis stood and hugged her little sister. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here," Alexis said. "For making me face my emotions. For being the best little sister ever."

Kristina laughed. "Call me if you need _anything_. I'll be here as soon as I can."

Alexis watched her sister pull out of the driveway. She waved and yelled for her to be careful driving back to Manhattan.

/

After Kristina left, Alexis checked once more on Sam and Zander. Both kids were sound asleep in their beds; Sam curled up with her beloved teddy bear and Zander with his baseball clasped in his hand.

Alexis went into her bedroom and sighed as she sat down. It was then her eyes caught sight of the photograph she'd thrown earlier. She walked across the room and bent down to pick it up. The glass was strewn on the floor.

Alexis went back to the bed and laid down. She clasped the picture tight to her chest and fell into a restless sleep; thoughts of school and how she was going to raise two children on her own racing through her head.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

/

**Six Years Later**

**Howard, Williams and Lansing Law Offices**

**May 25, 1990**

/

A knock on Alexis' office door prompted her to look up from her work. She smiled when she saw Ric Lansing standing there, leaning against the frame of the door.

Alexis had been offered a job at Howard, Williams and Lansing before she had even graduated from law school and passed the bar exam. She had been recommended by several of her law professors and she was hired the day she graduated. The first person, other than the three partners she met was Ric Lansing, the son Trevor Lansing; single best criminal defense attorney on the eastern seaboard.

Ric was thirty-two years old and a graduate of Harvard Law. He was handsome and driven and extremely arrogant. He was also the first man she'd met since Julian's death who she actually liked. They'd slowly gotten to know each other over the past year with a date here and there.

"You busy?" Ric asked as he stepped into her office.

Alexis shook her head. "Not especially. What can I do for you?"

He perched on the edge of her desk and picked up the photograph she kept there of Sam and Zander.

"You can let me take you and these beautiful kids to dinner," he said with a smile.

She chuckled and dipped her head. While they had spent some time together, Sam and Zander didn't know Ric well and Alexis had yet to share her past with Ric in regards to Julian.

_Maybe now is the time,_ she thought.

"We'd like that," she told him after a moment. "Someplace kid-friendly."

Ric nodded. "Absolutely. I know just the place. I'll pick the three of you up at six-thirty tonight."

"We look forward to it," she returned with a smile.

Ric walked out and Alexis let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

/

Sam and Zander were sitting on the curb outside the Dalton School when Alexis pulled up. Both kids jumped in quickly; Sam in front and Zander in the back.

"Sorry I'm late," Alexis said. "How was school?"

"It was good, Mom," Sam said while Zander was quiet.

"Son, how was school?" Alexis repeated as she watched her son in the rear-view mirror.

Zander shrugged but said nothing. His eyes were downcast and Alexis thought she caught sight of a few tears welling up.

"Tomorrow is the father/son baseball game," Sam told her mother softly.

Alexis glanced again at her son and her heart broke for her boy. They'd had a few instances over the years when father/son or father/daughter events had crept up. In those instances, Julian's brother Evan had been on hand for the events; more than happy to stand in for his deceased brother. But four months ago Evan had accepted a job in California and he had moved away, devastating his niece and nephew. He'd become a wonderful friend to Alexis and an acceptable stand-in dad for the kids.

"We'll figure something out, little man," Alexis told her son.

Zander looked up and Alexis saw his tears. "I miss Uncle Evan, Mom. I miss…I miss Dad, too."

Alexis felt her own tears begin to form as she drove. "I know. I miss your dad, too; so much."

As she drove to their apartment building on Park Avenue, she thought about the dinner date with Ric and she began to wonder if maybe it wasn't such a good idea. With Zander upset, she considered calling Ric and cancelling so she could stay home and comfort her son.

"Mom, are you gonna see Ric again?" Sam suddenly questioned as they pulled up in front of their building; 740 Park Avenue.

"What makes you ask that?" she asked as they entered the building together and took the elevator to their apartment on the eighteenth floor.

Sam shrugged as the trio entered the apartment. "Just wondered. I like Ric. He's nice."

Zander tossed his backpack down and nodded. "He's sure better than Jerry."

Alexis frowned. "I thought you guys liked Jerry."

Both kids flopped down on the sofa, one on either side of Alexis as she took a seat as well. Sam leaned her head on her mother's shoulder while Zander just leaned into her a bit.

"I like Uncle Jax," Sam said. "But…"

"But Jerry's weird, Mom," Zander finished. "He's…creepy."

Alexis had met Jasper Jacks when he moved into the same building in 1988. Jax, as he liked to be called, was the second man Alexis had dated after Julian's death. It had only taken a few dates for them to realize that they were much better off as friends. Jax had two things going for him; Sam and Zander adored him and he was the one person other than family who knew all about Julian.

Six months ago, Jax's older brother Jerry had come to New York and had immediately asked Alexis out. Jax hadn't offered his opinion on her dating his brother, so she'd agreed.

"Well," Alexis began. "You don't have to worry about that. Jerry has gone back to Australia for now. I don't think we'll be seeing him any time soon. As for Ric, he's offered to take us to dinner tonight if you want. You can stay with Jax if you don't want to go."

Sam looked at her twin brother and knew Zander was still a bit upset. "Mom, I don't really want to go. I'm kinda tired and I have a lot of homework to do."

"Me, too," Zander agreed. "I'd rather stay with Uncle Jax."

Alexis nodded. "Okay, I'll give him a call. You two go get changed and get started on that homework."

The kids went to their rooms as they were told while Alexis called Jax and asked him if he could babysit the twins while she went on a date.

/

The clock had barely struck six-thirty when the buzzer alerted Alexis to the fact that Ric had arrived and was waiting downstairs.

Jax, who had come over half an hour earlier, jumped up from the couch. "I'll answer it."

Alexis laughed. "If you must."

"I must," the tall Australian answered. "I want to check this guy out. This'll be the first time I've actually gotten to meet the bloke."

He pushed the intercom button. "Yes?"

"_Oh, Mister Jacks, it's Paul in security,"_ the man identified himself. _"There's a gentleman here by the name of Ric Lansing to see Mrs. Jerome."_

"Send him up," Jax answered.

"You are entirely too pleased with yourself," Alexis said as she came to stand next to him.

Jax turned around and shrugged. "You're my best friend. I have to look out for you."

Alexis wrapped her arms around his waist and melted against his chest. Jax rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Am I doing the right thing?" she whispered.

Jax took a deep breath and held her tighter. "Yes. Believe me, I understand losing the love of your life and how hard moving on can be. But, it's been six years. I never met Julian but I'm sure the last thing he'd want is for you and the kids to spend your lives alone. He'd want you to move on and be happy."

She pulled away and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I love you, ya know."

Jax beamed. "I know. Love you, too."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Jax grinned and swung around and pulled open the door.

"You must be Ric," Jax said as he held out his hand. "I'm Jax. Come on in."

Ric was a bit startled by a man answering the door, but he covered well. He shook Jax's hand as he caught sight of Alexis.

"You look very nice," he complimented.

Alexis smiled. "Thanks. Listen, the kids didn't feel like going out, so it's going to just be us."

Ric was a bit disappointed. He liked Sam and Zander. They were good kids who loved their mom a lot.

"Not a problem," he told her.

"So, where are you crazy kids going," Jax asked as he settled on the couch.

Alexis laughed. "Ric, don't pay any attention to him. He's the babysitter."

Jax clutched his chest. "Just a babysitter? I'm wounded."

"He's also my best friend," Alexis tossed in. "Jax, don't let the kids stay up too late, and no slasher films this time. Sam had nightmares for a week."

Having already said goodnight to her children, she led Ric out to the sounds of Jax's laughter echoing behind them.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

/

Without Sam and Zander, Ric altered their dinner plans and they ended up at an upscale Japanese restaurant where Ric knew the chef/owner.

"This is wonderful," Alexis commented on the sushi.

Ric smiled. "I know. Kai, the chef and owner of this place was an undergrad classmate of mine at Harvard. He's an amazing talent in the kitchen. I never eat sushi anywhere else."

The talked softly over their meal; mostly about their jobs.

"Can I ask you a…a personal question?" Ric ventured.

Alexis nodded; she knew what was coming and she had already decided to answer his questions.

"You never talk about Sam and Zander's father," he began. "I was just…wondering…"

Alexis gave him a small smile.

"His name was Julian," she said softly. "He was…the first boy I ever had a serious crush on. He was the first boy I ever kissed. I was sixteen and he had just turned eighteen when Sam and Zander were born. We got married two years later after I graduated from high school."

Ric could see sadness and pain in her eyes as she spoke about her husband. He sensed it wasn't a case of Julian having run off.

"What happened?"

"He died," she whispered. "Six years ago."

Ric thought for a moment and when it dawned on him where he'd heard the name Julian Jerome before, he reached across the table and grasped Alexis' hand.

"The Cassadine Industries plane crash from years ago, was that…?"

When he trailed off, Alexis nodded. She wiped away a few tears. "Yes. He was on board when it crashed. So was my…my brother and my cousin."

Ric sighed. "I'm so sorry, Alexis. No wonder you've been so…"

She smiled a bit. "Skittish?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, yeah."

She looked down at her plate. "I'm sorry."

Ric shook his head and reached over and lifted her chin so their eyes met. "No, don't…don't apologize for missing your husband. I admire your courage; trying to move on and raising two kids on your own."

"Trying being the operative word," she said. "It's been a long fight with myself. A few dates here and there, nothing serious."

"Now?" Ric questioned, hope in his eyes.

She met his stare. "I'm…open to the possibilities."

Ric smiled and they continued eating and talking softly.

/

Ric and Alexis got off the elevator on her floor and heard yelling. Alexis' heart clenched in her chest; she recognized the voice. It had been a decade, but she'd never forget it.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded as they stepped around the corner and she saw Jax blocking the entrance to her apartment. Standing before him, nearly a full head shorter, was Victor Jerome.

"I came to see my grandchildren, of course," the older man answered.

"Alexis, who is this guy?" Ric asked as he placed himself in front of and slightly to the right of her body, shielding her.

Alexis sighed. "This is my father-in-law, Victor Jerome."

Jax's eyes widened a bit. He knew of Victor from his talks with Alexis about Julian and the Jerome family, but he'd thought the old man had no interest in Sam or Zander.

"You've never spared one moment over the years for them, why now?" Alexis asked as she stepped around Ric and came face to face with the man that had beaten his son bloody a decade earlier when he learned that Julian was to be a father.

"May we please speak, Alexis, without your…bodyguards here?" Victor asked.

Alexis looked back at Ric. "I'm sorry. This isn't…this isn't how I imagined this night ending."

Ric eyed Victor suspiciously. "You sure you'll be okay?"

Alexis nodded and wrapped her arms around Ric's neck and spoke softly. "I'll be fine. Besides, Jax is just down the hall."

Ric placed a tender kiss on her lips before turning and walking back to the elevator.

Alexis turned back to Victor and motioned him to follow her. Jax stepped aside as they passed him.

"I'll just grab my jacket," he said. "Ah, the kids are asleep. Homework is done and…I'll be down the hall if you need me. Just call."

Alexis thanked him as he left the apartment. She shut the door behind him and turned to Victor.

"You have ten minutes," she told him. "Starting now. Go."

Victor chuckled. "So headstrong. I understand why my son loved you."

Alexis sat down across from Victor. "Explain to me why you're here, Victor. The night Julian told you I was pregnant and he was the father, you beat him bloody, broke four of his ribs, one of which punctured his lung and you fractured his right arm. You could have _killed_ him that night. You haven't spent one _second_ with Sam and Zander. You haven't sent even _one_ Christmas or birthday card to either of them. I'm supposed to believe you're here because you want to see them now. You weren't even at his _funeral_, you bastard!"

If Victor was taken aback by her anger, he didn't show it. He took a deep breath and met the intense stare of his daughter-in-law.

"I know I was a terrible father to Julian," the old man admitted. "I wasn't much better with Olivia and Evan. Olivia ran away years ago and I haven't seen her since. Evan is in Los Angeles with Veronica and they refuse to let me see Evan Jr. I just want…"

Alexis felt no sympathy for Victor. All she could see when she looked at him was teenage Julian's bloody face and the x-ray of his broken ribs.

"I'll be honest, Victor, I don't really care what you want," Alexis told him. "I care about my children. They've had more than enough pain in their lives for two ten-year-olds. I refuse to allow anyone or anything into their lives that might add to it. So, if you don't mind, your ten minutes are up. I'd like you to leave."

She stood and walked to the door and opened it. Victor moved to exit, and just as she was about to shut the door, he put his hand up and halted her.

"They're all I have left of my son, Alexis," Victor said softly. "Please, just…think about it."

Alexis refused to acknowledge the request. She brushed his hand off the door and shut it, locking it tightly. She leaned back against the door and closed her eyes.

"Mom?"

Alexis opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Zander standing at the edge of the hallway. He was barefoot. He was wearing his NY Yankees pajamas and his dark hair was sticking up in a hundred different directions.

"What's the matter, little man?" she asked her son as she walked to the sofa and sat down; patting the space next to her.

Zander snuggled against his mother. "I just couldn't sleep. I heard you come home. Did you have a good time with Ric?"

Alexis chuckled. "Yes, I had a good time with Ric. Are you feeling a little better? Did you and Sam have fun with Uncle Jax?"

Zander nodded. "Yeah, a little better. We always have fun with Uncle Jax. We played Nintendo after we had dinner."

"Mama?" Sam called as she walked into the livingroom.

Alexis waved her over and she snuggled up to her mother the same as her brother. Alexis wrapped her arms around both of her babies.

"What do you say we head into the kitchen, make some popcorn and go snuggle in my bed to watch a movie?" she asked them.

Sam and Zander both jumped up and ran for the kitchen to make the popcorn.

/

Less than an hour later, Sam and Zander were both sound asleep in Alexis' bed; one on either side of her. As she reached for the television remote she caught sight of the picture of Julian that sat on her bedside table. She grabbed it rather than the controller.

She ran her fingers over his smiling face. "I wish you were here. I miss you so much. Sam and Zander have grown so much. He looks so much like you. Sometimes it…it hits me so hard. Sam has your smile. Every time she smiles I see you in her. I wish you could see them."

She turned the television off and laid down, the picture frame still held in her hands. She held tight to it as she closed her eyes.

"I love you," she whispered as she fell gently into sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

/

**Christmas Eve, 1991**

**Jerome/Lansing Apartment**

/

A light snow was falling outside and Sam and Zander were both at the livingroom window watching. The glow of the lights on the Christmas tree bathed the room in a warm light.

"Mom, do you think Ric will make it home for Christmas?" Sam asked.

Alexis moved over to her children and ran her hand through Sam's long hair. "He promised you, didn't he?"

She nodded.

"Dad promised to come home, too," Zander said softly from his spot next to his sister.

Alexis leaned down and kissed the top of Zander's head. "I know he did, baby. But, this situation is very…"

The door opened and Ric walked in, arms laden with brightly wrapped packages.

"Ric!" both kids yelled as they jumped off the window seat and ran to him.

Ric felt all four arms wrap around his middle and he almost lost his grip on the gifts. Alexis quickly rescued him so he could hug the kids as well.

"We thought you weren't coming home," Zander told him when he let go.

Ric's eyes met Alexis' over the heads of the two kids. She smiled sadly and gazed over at the framed photo of Julian holding Zander and Sam in his arms. Ric gave her a nod of understanding and bent down in front of the children.

"I'm sorry I forgot to call when I left work late," he apologized to them, knowing it's what got them scared that he wasn't coming home. "I'll remember next time."

Sam hugged Ric tightly while Zander nodded. "Okay."

Ric stood and hoisted eleven-year-old Sam in his arms and walked over to Alexis and dropped a tender kiss on her lips.

Alexis took a sip of her wine and smiled at him. "Should we let them open a gift tonight?"

Zander looked up from where he had settled down in front of the tree. "Mom, you always let us open a gift on Christmas Eve."

That was true. She and Julian had begun letting them open gifts when they were two years old and even after they'd lost him, she'd continued the tradition.

Ric smiled. "Well, dig in then."

Sam jumped from his arms and knelt down with her brother. Each child inspected every package before selecting the ones they wanted.

Sam tore into hers first and smiled brightly when she opened the newest Barbie doll and a few accessories. Zander's smile was equally bright when he opened an extremely rare 1st Edition copy of the very popular Robert Louis Stevenson novel _Treasure Island_.

"You guys like?" Ric questioned.

"Yes!" Zander exclaimed. "Where'd you get it, Mom?"

Alexis smiled. She'd known the moment her father had found it that Zander would love it. The boy loved two things in life; baseball and books. He read for hours on end and _Treasure Island_ was his favorite.

"Your grandfather bought it," she told him. "He found it in a tiny family owned book shop in Athens."

"What about you, Princess?" Ric asked Sam.

"I love her," she answered, having already begun playing with the doll.

Zander had climbed back into the window seat and was cautiously flipping through the pages of his book.

"This must have cost Grandpa a fortune," he said to his mother.

Alexis wondered if her son knew just how much money his grandfather possessed and that his idea of a fortune and Mikkos Cassadine's idea were most likely greatly different.

"Okay, you two, time for bed," she announced.

Both children groaned, but complied. Hugs and kisses were exchanged and both kids were off to bed with Alexis tucking them and promising that by morning, Santa would have come and many more gifts awaited.

Ric turned off the lights in the livingroom, leaving only the glow from the Christmas tree. By the time Alexis had reentered the room, he'd poured each of them a glass of wine.

"Thank you," she replied as she took it from him and sat down on the couch, tucking her feet beneath her.

Ric sat next to her and pulled her feet onto his lap and massaged them gently. "I didn't realize that being late and not calling might frighten them."

"It's okay," she told him. "Sometimes I forget that…they're both such happy, go-lucky kids that sometimes I forget that losing their father is still fresh in their minds. His absence creeps up on them at the strangest times; like tonight."

He squeezed her leg comfortingly. "Creeps up on you, too."

"Yes, it does," she answered, not denying the truth of his statement. "It's been so long and…at times it seems like it just happened yesterday. I can see his face and hear his voice like he's standing right next to me. At others it feels like all seven-and-a-half years; times when I can barely remember what he sounded like and I have to look at a photo to really remember what he looked like."

Ric had learned early in his relationship with Alexis that she would always be honest with him about her feelings, including those for her deceased husband. Julian Jerome was still very much a part of the lives of his wife and his children.

"I think when you lose someone you loved so deeply, it leaves something behind that never really goes away," Ric said softly.

"It doesn't bother you," she said.

Ric shook his head. "No, it doesn't. I know you loved him, Lexie, and I know Sam and Zander loved him. I know all three of you _still_ and _always_ will love him. I don't believe that just because someone new comes into your life that it means you have to stop loving the people who were there before."

With tears in her eyes, Alexis moved closer to Ric and kissed his lips very softly. She ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair before pulling back.

"How did I get so lucky twice in my life?" she asked.

Ric shrugged. "You deserve to be happy, honey. That's not luck, that just _is_."

Alexis snuggled against him. He leaned back on the couch and together they fell asleep.


End file.
